Accessing a folder in Windows Explorer

I am using Vista (64-bit) on a desktop, and I am attempting to
access/salvage folders on a hard drive from my laptop (that is no longer
bootable) in order to copy these files to another device. The old hard
drive ran on a Windows 2000 platform, and I am attempting to access a User
folder under Documents and Settings. My Vista system tells me that I do not
have permission to access this folder. I have right-clicked on this folder
to bring up Properties, and it appears that I do have authority. In Windows
2000 one was able to log on as an Administrator, but in Vista I go straight
to the desktop at the time of boot. I am sure that this must be handled in
User Control, for example, but I am not certain of the procedure.

Any help is appreciated.

Gordon Biggar
Houston, Texas

On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:18:08 -0500, "Gordon Biggar"
<> wrote:

>I am using Vista (64-bit) on a desktop, and I am attempting to
>access/salvage folders on a hard drive from my laptop (that is no longer
>bootable) in order to copy these files to another device. The old hard
>drive ran on a Windows 2000 platform, and I am attempting to access a User
>folder under Documents and Settings. My Vista system tells me that I do not
>have permission to access this folder. I have right-clicked on this folder
>to bring up Properties, and it appears that I do have authority. In Windows
>2000 one was able to log on as an Administrator, but in Vista I go straight
>to the desktop at the time of boot. I am sure that this must be handled in
>User Control, for example, but I am not certain of the procedure.
>
>Any help is appreciated.

Try Taking Ownership of the folder and all files in it. If you don't
know how to do that, google "take ownership" and Vista (although it's
roughly the same procedure since NT came out). Note that Vista can be
a little funky and you might need to reboot after taking ownership to
get it to release the protections on the files.

wait for others to reply and google around also read 'www.vistax64.com
(http://www.vistax64.com


try at your own ris

copy/paste into a elevated command prompt

takeown -f C:\ --- take owenershi

--
pacinital

SpellCherkers aren't worth a shirt ya no

If I helped you, please tip my scales. If I have not, curse me out lik
a drunken sailor

After changing the ownership (in Properties/Security/Advanced) and hitting
Apply, the administrator name is highlighted. But, when I return to the
previous screen, I am told that the Ownership can still not be identified.

GB



"+Bob+" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:18:08 -0500, "Gordon Biggar"
> <> wrote:
>
>>I am using Vista (64-bit) on a desktop, and I am attempting to
>>access/salvage folders on a hard drive from my laptop (that is no longer
>>bootable) in order to copy these files to another device. The old hard
>>drive ran on a Windows 2000 platform, and I am attempting to access a User
>>folder under Documents and Settings. My Vista system tells me that I do
>>not
>>have permission to access this folder. I have right-clicked on this
>>folder
>>to bring up Properties, and it appears that I do have authority. In
>>Windows
>>2000 one was able to log on as an Administrator, but in Vista I go
>>straight
>>to the desktop at the time of boot. I am sure that this must be handled
>>in
>>User Control, for example, but I am not certain of the procedure.
>>
>>Any help is appreciated.
>
> Try Taking Ownership of the folder and all files in it. If you don't
> know how to do that, google "take ownership" and Vista (although it's
> roughly the same procedure since NT came out). Note that Vista can be
> a little funky and you might need to reboot after taking ownership to
> get it to release the protections on the files.
>

Managed (after numerous attempts) to change the ownership of this folder.
However, when I double-click on the folder to expand it, I receive the
message, "You don't currently have permission to access this folder."

Something is still hanging me up .

GB



"+Bob+" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:18:08 -0500, "Gordon Biggar"
> <> wrote:
>
>>I am using Vista (64-bit) on a desktop, and I am attempting to
>>access/salvage folders on a hard drive from my laptop (that is no longer
>>bootable) in order to copy these files to another device. The old hard
>>drive ran on a Windows 2000 platform, and I am attempting to access a User
>>folder under Documents and Settings. My Vista system tells me that I do
>>not
>>have permission to access this folder. I have right-clicked on this
>>folder
>>to bring up Properties, and it appears that I do have authority. In
>>Windows
>>2000 one was able to log on as an Administrator, but in Vista I go
>>straight
>>to the desktop at the time of boot. I am sure that this must be handled
>>in
>>User Control, for example, but I am not certain of the procedure.
>>
>>Any help is appreciated.
>
> Try Taking Ownership of the folder and all files in it. If you don't
> know how to do that, google "take ownership" and Vista (although it's
> roughly the same procedure since NT came out). Note that Vista can be
> a little funky and you might need to reboot after taking ownership to
> get it to release the protections on the files.
>

Sir David --

I can assign ownership to myself as a User with Full Control, but I cannot
assign Ownership to the Administrators group. After hitting OK, the message
under Current Owner says "Unable to display current owner."

If I leave myself as the User with Ownership, which the system accepts, when
I go to expand the folder, I receive the message "You don't currently have
permission to access this folder."

Somehow, I believe that the problem is related to my trying to access a hard
drive (using a hard drive adaptor) from another computer system (Windows
2000), which failed to boot. I can access certain folders/files without a
problem, but it's the Documents and Settings folder (under which are all the
Excel and Word files) that I can't expand.

Very frustrating.

GB



"Dave-UK" <> wrote in message
news: ...
>
> "Gordon Biggar" <> wrote in message
> news:#...
>> Managed (after numerous attempts) to change the ownership of this folder.
>> However, when I double-click on the folder to expand it, I receive the
>> message, "You don't currently have permission to access this folder."
>>
>> Something is still hanging me up .
>>
>> GB
>>
>>
>
> [File/folder permissions ]
>
> Right-click > Properties > Security.
> Click on the 'Advanced' button.
> Select 'Owner' tab.
> If you are not the owner click on 'Edit'.
> Select your name (or Administrators).
> Apply, then back out of all the boxes
>
> Once you own the file you can give yourself full control.
>
> Right-click the file > Properties > Security.
> Click on your account in the top box and see if you
> have full control as shown in the lower box.
> If not, click on 'Edit...' , make sure you are highlighted
> in the top box and select 'Full control'
> OK your way out. You should have full control now.
>
>
>

At Control Panel/User Accounts, I am shown as the only user, and it says
"Administrator" under the user name. (In Windows 2000, I could manually log
on as an administrator at the time of start-up, if I so chose.) At start-up
under Vista (64-bit), I go directly to the desktop. If I am the only user,
am I by default also the administrator?

Out of frustration, I even attempted to format the disk (going through
"cmd"). The system came back and told me that "Access is denied; you do not
have sufficient privileges," and that I must run this utility "in an
elevated mode." This would also seem to confirm that I do not have
administrator privileges.

Dumb question: what start-up instructions do I have to alter in order for me
to log on as an administrator? Sorry for such simplistic stuff!

GB






"Dave-UK" <> wrote in message
news: ...
>
> "Gordon Biggar" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Sir David --
>>
>> I can assign ownership to myself as a User with Full Control, but I
>> cannot assign Ownership to the Administrators group. After hitting OK,
>> the message under Current Owner says "Unable to display current owner."
>>
>> If I leave myself as the User with Ownership, which the system accepts,
>> when I go to expand the folder, I receive the message "You don't
>> currently have permission to access this folder."
>>
>> Somehow, I believe that the problem is related to my trying to access a
>> hard drive (using a hard drive adaptor) from another computer system
>> (Windows 2000), which failed to boot. I can access certain folders/files
>> without a problem, but it's the Documents and Settings folder (under
>> which are all the Excel and Word files) that I can't expand.
>>
>> Very frustrating.
>>
>> GB
>>
>>
> You need to be an administrator to change permissions etc.. Log on as an
> admin, not a User.
> The User account is not designed for doing administrative tasks.
>
>
>
>

On Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:37:35 -0500, "Gordon Biggar"
<> wrote:

>At Control Panel/User Accounts, I am shown as the only user, and it says
>"Administrator" under the user name. (In Windows 2000, I could manually log
>on as an administrator at the time of start-up, if I so chose.) At start-up
>under Vista (64-bit), I go directly to the desktop. If I am the only user,
>am I by default also the administrator?
>
>Out of frustration, I even attempted to format the disk (going through
>"cmd"). The system came back and told me that "Access is denied; you do not
>have sufficient privileges," and that I must run this utility "in an
>elevated mode." This would also seem to confirm that I do not have
>administrator privileges.
>
>Dumb question: what start-up instructions do I have to alter in order for me
>to log on as an administrator? Sorry for such simplistic stuff!
>
>GB

You should create a second account and make it an administrator. Never
have just one account on a Windows machine.

That said, I suggest you enable the built-in "real" administrator
account and use that to fix your file ownership problems. Start a
command prompt, type this:

Net user administrator /active:yes
Net user administrator password-you-want

Log off. You should now have the ability to log on as the real
administrator and do what you want.

FYI - formatting C: won't help. The files on that adopted drive are
owned by another used ID that is not on your system. You need to take
ownership. Go to the root of the drive (e.g. D and do the take
ownership operation. Be sure to check the box that says "apply to sub
folders and files:.

Sir Robert --

I set up another User Account (also as an Administrator), and rebooted the
computer. Went straight to the desktop (under my original User Name)
without giving me the chance to log on as the new administrator. There must
be a default setting somewhere?

Went into Windows Explorer to change the ownership of the folder in question
to the new administrator. It was not listed among the selections for
changing to.

Went to the DOS prompt (via cmd) and typed in "Net user administrator
/active:yes." System came back with a "system 5 error; access is denied."

GB



"+Bob+" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:37:35 -0500, "Gordon Biggar"
> <> wrote:
>
>>At Control Panel/User Accounts, I am shown as the only user, and it says
>>"Administrator" under the user name. (In Windows 2000, I could manually
>>log
>>on as an administrator at the time of start-up, if I so chose.) At
>>start-up
>>under Vista (64-bit), I go directly to the desktop. If I am the only
>>user,
>>am I by default also the administrator?
>>
>>Out of frustration, I even attempted to format the disk (going through
>>"cmd"). The system came back and told me that "Access is denied; you do
>>not
>>have sufficient privileges," and that I must run this utility "in an
>>elevated mode." This would also seem to confirm that I do not have
>>administrator privileges.
>>
>>Dumb question: what start-up instructions do I have to alter in order for
>>me
>>to log on as an administrator? Sorry for such simplistic stuff!
>>
>>GB
>
> You should create a second account and make it an administrator. Never
> have just one account on a Windows machine.
>
> That said, I suggest you enable the built-in "real" administrator
> account and use that to fix your file ownership problems. Start a
> command prompt, type this:
>
> Net user administrator /active:yes
> Net user administrator password-you-want
>
> Log off. You should now have the ability to log on as the real
> administrator and do what you want.
>
> FYI - formatting C: won't help. The files on that adopted drive are
> owned by another used ID that is not on your system. You need to take
> ownership. Go to the root of the drive (e.g. D and do the take
> ownership operation. Be sure to check the box that says "apply to sub
> folders and files:.
>
>
>

On Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:08:53 -0500, "Gordon Biggar"
<> wrote:

>Sir Robert --
>
>I set up another User Account (also as an Administrator), and rebooted the
>computer. Went straight to the desktop (under my original User Name)
>without giving me the chance to log on as the new administrator. There must
>be a default setting somewhere?
>
>Went into Windows Explorer to change the ownership of the folder in question
>to the new administrator. It was not listed among the selections for
>changing to.
>
>Went to the DOS prompt (via cmd) and typed in "Net user administrator
>/active:yes." System came back with a "system 5 error; access is denied."
>
>GB

Can you start a command prompt with a right click and "run as
administrator" ?